Some mountain biking “must ride” destinations include Moab, British Columbia, Crested Butte, and Cleveland, OH. Well, if Cleveland is not on your mountain biking radar, it should be. TrailTapes took a weekend roadtrip to Ray’s MTB, Indoor Mountain Bike Park.

Ray has turned this 60,000 square-foot, former WWII parachute factory, into a haven of free riding that mirrors the epic tracks. And because it’s all indoors, it’s open to riding in the winter. Dennis, Ryan and I made the trip and met riders from Massachusetts, Pensylvania and New York, as well as some locals.

There is a variety of riding for all skill levels. For beginners there are a couple of tracks that include low rolling bumps, some rocks and low teeter-totters. More advanced riders enjoy the technical platform where they can choose a dozen or so different riding options including an elevator, a pivot platform, a slider and a double teeter-totter, as well as three drops.

The Subaru skate park is specially designed for mountain bikes with larger dimensions to accomodate bikes larger than 20 inches. Want to try a 360 or a can-can? No problem. The GT Foam Pit is great fun. A giant approach and 5-foot ramp launch riders into a bed of foam rubber. The outer loop features a series of hips and table jumps.

Subscribe to TrailTapes Mountain Biking TV video podcast (iTunes One Click) for a video trail-logue and an interview with Ray himself in the next episode.

 Episode 1: TrailTapes Mountain Biking TV: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the premier episode of TrailTapes Mountain Biking TV. In this episode we explore winter riding in an interview with Jeff Homan, National Mountain Bike Patrol rep for the Rock Cut Trail Crew. Jeff also shows how to make homemade studded tires. Plus some mountain biking news and a video tour of Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, IL.

CPSC, Syntace USA Announce Recall of Bicycle Handlebar Stems

January 19, 2006
Release #06-069
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 448-3876 Ext. 233
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: F99 (Force 99) Bicycle Handlebar Stems

Units: About 2,300

Distributor: Syntace USA, of Olney, Ill.

Hazard: The recalled bicycle stems can crack or break under normal conditions, causing the rider to fall and suffer serious injury.

Incidents/Injuries: No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled bicycle handlebar stem is black. Stems with production codes 01 03 through 45 04, and stems with no production code are included in this recall. The production code is the bottom set of
numbers located on the end of the stem.

Sold by: Bicycle dealers, mail order magazines and on the Internet from May 2003 through July 2005 for about $90.

Manufactured in: Taiwan

Remedy: Consumers should stop using bicycles equipped with the recalled handlebar stem immediately and contact Syntace for instructions to receive a free replacement stem and installation.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Crystal Trout at Syntace USA at (800) 448-3876, extension 233, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or log onto www.syntaceusa.com - consumers also can e-mail the firm at syntaceusa@syntace.com or write to:

Syntace
USA, 1902 Miller Drive, Olney, Ill. 62450.

To view this recall online, please visit our website at:
https://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06069.html

We saw bicycling advocacy in action last night in Rockford as members of the Rock Cut Trail Crew joined the Blackhawk Bike and Ski Club at city hall for a meeting with the League of Illinois Bicyclists. The meeting was to get recommendations from cyclists about safe bike routes for the Rockford Bike Map Project.

The Rockford Area Transportation System also outlined their three-part plan to study bike and pedestrian activity in Rockford. The study, to be completed by June 2007, includes:

Inventory of the existing system
Study the impact of mounting bike racks on city busses
Study zoning and land use ordinances to determine how to incorporate bike and pedestrian access into new residential developments

Rock Cut Trail Crew President, Nick Bojda, interviewed Ed Barsotti, Executive Director for the League of Illinois Bicyclists as well as Rockford Mayor, Larry Morrissey for TrailTapes. Be sure to download the February episode for the story.

I’ve just completed post production on the first episode of TrailTapes Mountain Biking TV. Episode 1 will be available January 26. I will release upcoming shows the last Thursday or Friday of each month. (at least that’s the plan)

This first show is about mountain biking in winter and is a little over 20 minutes in length. It features some mountain bike news, tips to prepare for a bike ride in cold weather, how to make your own studded tires, and a trail-logue video tour of Rock Cut State Park, where I ride here in Rockford, IL.

Subscribe now with iTunes or copy this feed url into your video podcast viewer. http://feeds.feedburner.com/trailtapestv

The League of Illinois Bicyclists is leading an effort to create a free bicycle map for the Rockford urban area. On January 18 (5-6pm, Rockford City Hall), they are conducting a public meeting to gather input for the map. Cyclists will be asked to mark up maps showing: 1) their preferred routes for biking around town; and 2) places where road striping or spot improvements could improve conditions for bikes. From this input, the LIB will produce a map in time for spring.

Here is the news release:

Rockford, IL – Rockford area residents are invited to offer their suggestions on identifying the best routes for bicycling and suggesting roads that could be improved to make cycling safer.

The public meeting will be held from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, January 18, in the second floor council chambers at Rockford City Hall, 425 E. State St.

Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists and meeting moderator, said the league will use the information from the meeting to develop 11×17-inch maps that will be available for free to bicyclists through bicycle shops and clubs, libraries, park districts and other outlets. The maps will show preferred roadways for bicyclists, street names, trails and some major destinations on one side. The other side will have safety information, adverstisements and applications for the league and local bicycle clubs.”

“Rockford does not have a comprehensive map showing the best ways for biking around town,” Barsotti said. “The League of Illinois Bicyclists, working with local agencies, bicyclists, bicycling clubs and shops wants to fill that gap and promote bicycling for fun, exercise and commuting.”

Barsotti said, “Members of the public are invited to participate in the development of the map and to share their experiences and knowledge of the best and safest bicycling routes in the Rockford area. With the help of the public, the league and the Blackhawk Bicycle and Ski Club will produce a Rockford map that will be comprehensive, accurate and useful for cyclist of all ages and abilities.”

Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey and representatives of the Blackhawk Bicycle and Ski Club have indicated their plans to participate in the meeting.

The League of Illinois Bicyclists is a not-for-profit bicycle advocacy group.

For more info, contact

Ed Barsotti
Executive Director
League of Illinois Bicyclists
2550 Cheshire Dr.
Aurora, IL 60504
630-978-0583
ed@bikelib.org
www.bikelib.org

Last Saturday, New Year’s Eve, I met Jeff Homan, the National Mountain Bike Patrol rep for the Rock Cut Trail Crew, to video tape the segment on winter riding for TrailTapes. The shoot went well, and we got in a short ride through the snow on the 3-mile loop of singletrack at Espenscheid forest preserve. I’m in the process of editing the show and am on target to launch the first episode at the end of the month.

Last Saturday there was still snow on the ground. Then the rains came Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and warm temps in the 40’s all week. Now all the snow is gone. The roads are dry and the ground isn’t even muddy anymore. Today was a lovely spring day. Only problem is it’s January. So it feels a little strange to be working on the first episode of TrailTapes with the subject of Winter Mountain Biking.

But if there’s one thing for certain, we will get snow. On Easter, most likely. But it will happen. And knowing how to dress, prep the bike and make studded tires for riding on ice will be handy information. In the meantime, I purchased a pair of Bontrager slick tires for riding the rollers. They’ll also be useful for the road trip to Ray’s Indoor MTB later this month. That segment coming in episode 2 of TrailTapes.

IMBA has posted informtion on Winter Cold Injuries.

Bike-O-Rama is scheduled for March 10-12, 2006 at the Alliant Center in Madison, WI.

Bike-O-Rama

I visited Bike-O-Rama for my first time last year. By March the itch is strong to get back out on the trails after being cooped up inside, riding rollers all winter. To walk into a convention hall full of bikes, parts, trade show displays and demonstrations really heightens the suspense.

Subscribe to TrailTapes Mountain Bike TV video podcast for planned coverage of Bike-O-Rama on your video iPod.

I once found a 5-foot pipe wrench at Farm and Fleet. It looked like some kind of joke, but there it was next to lots of other useful tools. I suppose there’s a right tool for every job.

This link describes FLIRTSS, Forward Looking Infrared Terrain Sensing Shock. On first read it reminded me of that 5-foot pipe wrench. But if it works, it would be the coolest geeky thing available for a mountain bike. FLIRTSS will replace SPV and terra logic

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